Indian winners of Nestle Android KitKat contest get snubbed, receive last year's model

By on Email @exolete

Nestle Kitkat India Goof Up

Google had started a promotion for Android 4.4 KitKat in co-operation with Nestle where if you bought a special KitKat with the Android logo you would be able to enter yourself into a contest to get the 2013 Nexus 7. All you needed to do to enter was send an SMS with the code you get inside the wrapper of the new KitKat.


Now the contest is over and people are getting their paws on the new Nexus 7 2013. However, people over in India are getting the 2012 Nexus 7 although they were promised the new 2013 model in the contest even in promotional materials. Even the initial promo text said that "the first 1000 to take a break with all new Nexus 7 tablet", alongwith the image depicting the new 2013 Nexus 7. Futhermore, the winners page as on October 31st showed the same image with the above text.

Nestle Android Kitkat Contest India Controversy

You can see the screenshot taken with WayBack Machine. Although Nestle can hide behind the terms and conditions of the contest as they read "The Pictures of the prizes depicted on the press ads/posters/TVC’c/pack shots etc. are only representative and the actual prize may vary from the depiction."

Nestle's response on the snubbing of Indian citizens is that the contest started before Nexus 7 2013 was launched in India. If that's the case, they should have said so from the beginning and not show the new Nexus 7 2013 in all their promotions. All this is doing is tarnishing Nestle's reputation in the country and to some extent Google's as well. Ever since the issue came up on Twitter, Google has yet to give an official response and well, you can see what Nestle has to say.